Teams not fazed by rematch

When the Nebraska-Washington Holiday Bowl was announced Dec. 5, the reaction of most was quizzical.

A rematch of a blowout?

Indeed, Washington’s 56-21 loss to Nebraska on Sept. 18 in Seattle has put a different tenor on this game. Rematches are rare in college football.

According to the website College Football By The Numbers, there have been just 49 since 1950.

The winner of the first game was 29-18 in the rematches, but a game that was a blowout initially would likely be closer the second time.

Washington hasn’t had one since the World War II era — when travel restrictions meant playing a number of rematches against Northwest schools to fill out the schedule.

But they are becoming more common now because of the addition of conference title games.

Nebraska last had a rematch in that fashion in 1999, playing Texas in the regular season and again in the title contest. Texas won the first game, Nebraska the second.

Both coaches, however, said the fact the two teams have already played was not much of a factor in the preparation for the Holiday Bowl.

“Whatever happened in September, that’s over,” Nebraska Coach Bo Pelini said. “That was a long time ago. The teams have changed dramatically, and it’s a different time, different place.”

Said UW’s Steve Sarkisian: “We prepared from scratch like it was a brand-new opponent, and that game that we played them was part of our preparation.”

NEW YORK STATE OF MIND: The Kansas State Wildcats arrived safely in New York on Sunday at the start of one of the worst snow storms to hit New York in recent memory. About 16 inches of snow in the city forced Pinstripe Bowl organizers to juggle the schedule of activities for the players and Kansas State’s first “practice” was a walkthrough in a hotel ballroom in midtown.

Freezing temperatures and slush-covered sidewalks aside, the players have had plenty to do.

“New York’s a city that’s been on my bucket list for a while,” Kansas State quarterback Carson Coffman said.

The forecast for today’s game in the Bronx: Mostly sunny and temperatures pushing 40 degrees.

No matter the weather, Kansas State is a run-first — and second and third — offense.

Coffman is the passing part of a quarterback combo, with sophomore Collin Klein as the runner, but the No. 1 job for both is to hand the ball to Daniel Thomas.

The 228-pound senior rushed for 1,495 yards and 16 touchdowns and likely has a lucrative career ahead of him.

REDEMPTION BOWL: North Carolina Coach Butch Davis knows how much his team endured to reach the Music City Bowl.

So he can appreciate what Coach Derek Dooley overcame during his first year at Tennessee to get to face the Tar Heels.

The Tar Heels (7-5) stumbled while dealing with an NCAA investigation into agent-related benefits and academic misconduct that led to 14 players missing at least one game. Seven of those players ended up missing the entire season.

Dooley is Tennessee’s third coach in as many seasons, and the Vols (6-6) started out 2-6 while losing to four teams currently ranked in the Top 25. Injuries and a thin roster because defections through the coaching changes resulted in 16 true freshmen playing.